when to pinch out cucumber flowers?

[queen of the cobs]

...on my indoor cucumbers? doesn't leaving them make the fruit go bitter? I have small cukes forming, but with a flower on the end - should i get rid of the flower now?

thanks.

[shirlthegirl43]

I don't know if you have to remove the flower from the end of an all-female cucumber - I didn't with mine last year. I think you have to remove male flowers if your plant is not an F1 female plant as the fruit is bitter if it gets pollinated.

I do stand ready to be corrected as this is only my second year growing cucumbers!

[Paulottie]

Hi queen, The flowers you should remove are the male ones. These are on a thinner stalk and don't have a tiny fruit behind the flower. As Shirl says, there are some expensive all female F1 varieties that remove this need for this daily chore.

[shirlthegirl43]

there are some expensive all female F1 varieties that remove this need for this daily chore.

Didn't feel mine were expensive, I bought a packet of seed at Amsterdam airport on my way through there - 2 quid for 15 seeds. I planted 4 and have 4 nice healthy plants - plenty seeds left for future years

[Cutecumber]

Queen - what variety are these cucumbers?

[queen of the cobs]

the ones in my greenhouse are Telegraph, so not all-female unfortunately.

thanks for the advice - i'll see what I can find tomorrow and see if they are male or female flowers.

[Paulottie]

Didn't feel mine were expensive, I bought a packet of seed at Amsterdam airport on my way through there - 2 quid for 15 seeds. I planted 4 and have 4 nice healthy plants - plenty seeds left for future years

They'll probably get you stoned too.